Dental Emergencies Increasingly Covered by NHS Hospitals

By Colby

According to figures collated by the Conservative party, more than 22,000 people had to be admitted to hospital for emergency dental treatment in 2008.

Why? Because it’s so difficult to access NHS dentists. Figures show that there has been a 1% increase in dental emergencies, which cost the health service approximately £13m. Out of all these patients, 5,500 were children.

What these numbers show is that NHS hospitals are making up for the gap in local emergency dental care. Between 2007-2008, more than 18,000 people found themselves in A&E with dental problems – that’s 2% more than the previous year. 1,100 people had to see their GP instead (a 5% increase).

Local Emergencies

Interestingly depending on where you are in the country, you are more likely to have a dental emergency. For example, in Liverpool, people are 14 times more likely to go to hospital with an oral condition than people who live in the Isle of Wight.

A study from Citizen’s Advice showed that, since April 2006, 7.4 million people haven’t been to an NHS dentist, due to their lack of accessibility. However, with an investment of £2bn, it’s hoped that more medical practices will open up.

Dental Emergencies

Dental personal emergencies are more common than you might think – check out this personal injury calculator to see how much compensation you could receive for an accident that wasn’t your fault. Here’s what to do if you find yourself with dental damage:

- Toothaches: rinse out your mouth with warm water and use floss to dislodge any leftover nosh from between your teeth. Sometimes, toothaches can swell up your mouth. If this occurs, apply a cold compress.

- Chipped/broken teeth: save any part of your tooth you can salvage. Rinse your mouth and any broken pieces with warm water. Apply a cold compress to stop swelling and numb any pain.

- Knocked out tooth: holding your tooth by the crown, rinse it off with water, but do not scrub. If you can, place your tooth back into your mouth. However, if you can’t re-fix it back to your gum, don’t force it. If you don’t want to put it back into your mouth, store it in a cup of milk. See a dentist as soon as possible. You’re more likely to re-fix your tooth, if you see a professional within the hour.

- Partially dislodged tooth: see a dentist as soon as possible.

- Objects caught between teeth: to begin with, try to floss it out very gently. If you can’t get it out, see your dentist. Never use anything sharp to dislodge the object.

- Lost filling: in the interim, fill your tooth with sugarless gum. Then, see your dentist.

- Lost crown: see your dentist and take your crown with you. For sensitive areas, apply a little clove oil.

- Broken braces/wires: if you wear braces, it can be a nightmare when they snap. The metal can stick out uncomfortably. Try to use the eraser end of a pencil to bend it into a more comfortable position and then see your dentist. Never try to cut the wire, as you could swallow or inhale it.

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Source: http://worldental.org/emergency-dentist-2/dental-emergencies-increasingly-covered-nhs-hospitals/16118/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dental-emergencies-increasingly-covered-nhs-hospitals

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